Nicotine-absorbent



mammal.

E. L. LEWIS. NIGUTINB ABSORBENT.

No. 495,186. Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

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W i ZZQWKO M m W UNITED STATES PATENT Cr tics;

.ELLIOTT L, LEWIS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

NlCOTlNE-ABSORBENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 495,186, dated April11, 1893.

Application filed May 31,1892. Serial No. 434.952- (No model-T- To allwhom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT L. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, county of Rensselaer, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Nicotine-Absorbents, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to such improvements and it consists of the novelconstruction and combination of parts hereinafter described andsubsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a central longitudinal section of acigarette holder containing my-improved nicotine-absorbent shown in sideelevation. Fig. 2 is a plan View of a long strip of flexible absorbentmaterial provided with a stiffening core extendinglengthwise of thestrip. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection of the strip. Fig. 4is asideelevation of a short strip like that shown in Fig. 2, folded upon itselfand having its ends stitched together. Fig. 5 is an end view of thefolded end of the folded strip. Fig. 6 is an end view of the stitchedend of the folded strip. Fig. 7 is an end view of the folded end of anabsorbent like that shown inFig. 1. Fig. 8 is an end view of theopposite end of the absorbent shown in Fig. 7.

My improved nicotine-absorbent constitutes a new article of manufactureand consists of a short strip of flexible absorbent material providedwith a stiffening core, and having one end of the strip folded upon theother. made can be easily and quickly inserted in and expelled from thestem of a tobacco-pipe or cigarette holder. Then an inserted strip issaturated with nicotine, it is expelled from the stem and aclean oneinserted.

Referring to the drawings, A is a cigarette holder and B- one of myimproved nicotine absorbents inserted in the stem of the holder, inposition for use.

O' is a long strip of absorbent material consisting of fibrous strandsof absorbent ma- The strips of absorbent material so.

terial woven about the central wire, -O-.

This strip may be made in long pieces, and short pieces or strips of thedesired length cut therefrom. The short strips are folded with one endupon the other, as shown in Figs. 4., 5 and 6, and the ends may be boundin any known manner to prevent raveling or fraying.

In Fig. 4 the ends of the strip are shown bound together by a. line ofstitching, C which can be inserted by hand or by a sewing-machine. InFig. 1 the ends are shown bound by an encircling wire or thread, B.

The folded strip may be used in the form shown in Fig. 4:, in which formthe folded ends are straight and parallel with each other; but I preferto twist the ends, one, or each, about the other. When the ends aretwisted as shown in Fig. 1, a double spiralgroove,B is formed from oneend of the folded strip to the other which connects thecigarette-chamber, A, with the tube, B in the mouthpiece, constitutingopen channels for the smoke, except that the extreme ends of the stripoutside the binding, B-, may be frayed out as shown in Fig. 8,to looselyfill the stemaperture, thereby affording a filter or strainer to catchand arrest any particles of tobacco or other solid substance which mightotherwise pass through the stem to the mouth of the smoker.

One object of the core, O, is to reduce the flexibility of the foldedstrip so that it will retain its form when inserted in the stem, and byfolding the strip having such a core, the bends in the core and flexiblecover prevent the core from slipping lengthwise of the core when thedevice is forced into the stem. It would be more difficult to forceasingle unfolded strip into the stem because if the covering adhered tothe inner wall of the stemaperture, the core would slip through thecovering and afford little or no assistanceinforcing the latter into thestem. I prefer to make the core of fine annealed wire for the reasonthat the wire is easily bent and will cause the ends of the folded stripto retain the twisted form shown in Fig. 1, which is the preferred form.

One object of my invention is to produce an absorbing device which shallbe so cheap and easy of manipulation that a new one may be used witheach cigar, and the soiled one 1 by inserting the butt end of a matchthrough the smoke aperture in the mouth-piece, and pushing it againstthe folded end of the absorbent. By folding and twisting the strips, Inot only produce two elongated-smoke'channels or conduits as beforedescribed, which 'cool the smoke and deprive it of much of its nicotineand other impurities in a manner Well known to those skilled in the art;but I,

am able to render the device stiffer-and more compact. By stiffening thedevice it is rendered more easy of insertion and removal from acigarette holder or pipe stem, and by com pacting the device, itoccupies less room before use, and quantities of them can be carriedabout loose in the users pocket without inconvenience to him or injuryto the absorbents.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a nicotine absorbent fortobacco-smoke stems consisting of a strip of flexible absorbent materialprovided with a stiffening core, one end ofthe strip being folded uponthe other end, substantially as described.

A nicotine absorbent for tobacco-smoke stems consisting of a flexiblestrip of absorbent material provided with a metallic core, folded andtwisted one end about the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of May,1892.

' ELLIOTT L. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

FRANK O. CURTIS, W-M. H. I-IoLLIsTER, J r.

